Filling device for bottles or the like



July 15, 1969 A. HINXLAGE 3,455,350

FILLING DEVICE FOR BOTTLES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet1 JN VEN TOR ALOYS HINXLAGE BY Mu! M his ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 A.HINXLAGE FILLING DEVICE FOR BOTTLES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 5, 1967 FIG?\ VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR:

his ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,455,350 FILLING DEVICE FOR BOTTLESOR THE LIKE Aloys Hinxlage, Dortmund, Germany, assignor to Holstein &Kappert Maschinenfabrik Phonix G.m.b.H., Dortmund, Germany Filed Feb. 3,1967, Ser. No. 618,258 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 5,1966,

Int. Cl. B67d 3/26 U.S. Cl. 141367 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA filling device for bottles, cans and similar containers and providedwith an arrangement whereby one and the same filling device can be usedfor filling containers having differently dimensioned open tops. Thedevice includes a centering member having a recess into which an opentop of a container is to be introduced and a plurality of concentricannular sealing members located in the recess and each having adifferent diameter so that, when an open top of a container isintroduced into the recess, the open top will be sealingly engaged bythe correspondingly dimensioned sealing member.

Cross-references to related applications An Apparatus for FillingBottles or the Like in which my novel device can be utilized isdisclosed in my prior application Ser. No. 220,205, filed on Aug. 29,1962 and issued on Oct. 19, 1965, as patent 3,212,537.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a devicefor filling open-ended containers with liquids. More particularly, theinvention relates to such a device which is suitable for fillingbottles, cans and similar containers. Stillmore specifically, theinvention relates to a device of the type outlined above which can beutilized for filling containers having differently dimensioned open topswithout requiring adjustment for making possible the use of the devicewith such different containers.

Apparatus for filling bottles and similar containers with liquids iswell known. Such an apparatus is, for instance, described in myabove-mentoined patent 3,212,- 537. An indispensable part of each suchapparatus is a centering arrangement which serves to center the bottleor other container with respect to the fluid-dispensing nozzle throughwhich fluid is introduced into the-respective container. Apparatus ofthis type is widely used in the bottling and canning industry, and hasbeen found to be very satisfactory with the exception of one rathersignificant disadvantage. Reference is here being had to the fact that,whenever the type of container which is being filled with liquid is tobe changed, for instance if the apparatus has been used for fillingbottles and is subsequently to be used for filling cans which, ofcourse, have a larger opening, rather extensive adjustments to theapparatus are necessary. It will be understood that these devicesoperate at high speed and are capable of filling a great number ofcontainers at one time. Thus, these devices include a large number offilling nozzles and a correspondingly large number of centeringarrangements, each associated with one of the nozzles. In the prior artdevices these centering arrangements are suitable only for use on acontainer having an opening of predetermined dimension. If the apparatusis to be used with a container having a differently dimensioned opening,then the centering arrangements of all the nozzles must be removed anddifferently configurated centering arrangements be substituted which aresuitable for cooperation with the open- Patented July 15, 1969 SeeSummary of the invention The present invention provides an arrangementwhich overcomes these disadvantages.

More particularly, the present invention provides a filling device whichcan be utilized with bottles, cans and similar containers havingvariously-dimensioned open ends without, however, necessitating anyadjustment to the device when a change-over occurs from a containerhaving a smaller opening to a container having a larger opening or viceversa.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a device of this type whichis particularly suitable for use in high speed automatic fillingapparatus.

The device, in accordance with the present invention, is simple and veryeconomical to construct, and it is highly reliable in operation.

In accordance with one feature of my invention I provide in an apparatusfor filling liquids into bottles, cans and similar containers havingdifferently dimensioned open tops, nozzle means provided with an outletopening, and a centering member on said nozzle means. The centeringmember has a recess communicating with the outlet opening and thisrecess is provided with an open end.

Thus far, the device is rather conventional. However, it differssignificantly from known arrangements of this type in that it is furtherprovided with a plurality of concentric annular sealing members whichare arranged within the aforementioned recess and which each have adifferent diameter. This assures that, when the open top of one of thecontainers to be filled is introduced into the recess of the centeringmember, it is sealingly engaged by that sealing member which has adimension corresponding to the dimension of the open top of thecontainer.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description ofspecific embodimentswhen read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Short description of the drawing FIG. 1 illustrates in vertical sectionthe novel device when used for filling a bottle; and

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but illustrates the novel device when usedfor filling a container having a larger opening than the bottle shown inFIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiments Discussing now the drawing indetail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that referencenumeral 1 indicates a centering member of generally ball-shapedconfiguration. This centering member is provided at its underside withan inwardly extending recess 5 which communicates at its upper end witha filling valve which is schematically illustrated in the drawing.

Arranged within the recess 5 downwardly of the upper end thereof is afirst annular sealing member 2 having a predetermined diameter and asecond annular sealing member 3 having a larger diameter than thesealing member 2, with which it is concentric. It is evident thatsuitable cutouts are provided in the wall bounding the recess 5, thesealing members 2 and 3 being located in the respective cutouts.Different materials are suitable for the sealing members 2 and 3, andsuch materials are well known in the art.

It will be evident, of course, that the showing of only two sealingmembers in FIG. 1, namely the sealing members 2 and 3, is intendedmerely as illustrative of the fact that a desired number of such sealingmembers can be provided, this number being governed by the differentdimensions on the various types of containers which are to be filledwith an apparatus utilizing my novel device.

FIG. 1 shows my device in conjunction with a bottle 7 which is to befilled with the liquid. It will be noticed that the upper edge of bottle7 which surrounds the open end of the latter is in sealing engagementwith the smallerdiameter sealing member 2, whereas the larger-diametersealing member 3 is not in use at this time.

An air-return tube 4 extends through the recess 5 from the filler valveand into the open top of the bottle 7. In accordance with the inventionthe air-return tube 4 is advantageously removable from the filler valveto which it may be releasably secured by a suitable friction-type orclamping type connection, for instance, by being pushed into frictionalengagement with an O-ring located in an annular groove provided in theoutlet opening of the filler valve. In this manner the air-return tube 4can be readily exchanged, and this is desirable since the radiallyextending deflector 9 which is carried by the air-return tube 4 is toosmall for use in filling a container having a larger opening than thebottle 7.

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1, like elements being identified withlike reference numerals. The difference in FIG. 2 over the showing ofFIG. 1 resides in the fact that in FIG. 2 the device is shown inconjunction with a can or similar container 6 having an open top whichis larger than that of the bottle 7 shown in FIG. 1. It is evident fromFIG. 2 that with a container whose open top is dimensioned in the mannershown in FIG. 2, it is the sealing member 3 which sealingly engages theupper end of the container 6 while the sealing member 2 is not in use atthis time. It will be further evident from this juxtaposition of the useof the novel device with the container 6 as opposed to its use with thebottle 7, that a plurality of sealing members corresponding to the onesindicated with reference numerals 2 and 3 can be provided, as long aseach such sealing member is dimensioned so that it can cooperate withthe open top of a correspondingly dimensioned container.

FIG. 2 also shows that an air-return tube 4' has been substituted forthe air-return tube 4 of FIG. 1, this airreturn tube 4' having aradially extending deflector 8 which is considerably larger than thedeflector 9 shown in FIG. 1, in keeping with the larger dimension of theopen top of container 6. As mentioned before, a suitable friction-orother type of connection may be provided for securing the air-returntubes 4 and 4' to the schematically illustrated filler valve so that,when a change-over from the bottles 7 to the cans 6 or vice versa is tobe effected, a substitution of the air-return tubes 4' for theair-return tubes 4 or vice versa can be accomplished quickly and with aminimum loss of time.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofdevices differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in afilling device for bottles or the like, it is not intended to be limitedto the details shown, since various modifications and structural changesmay be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are'intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:

1. In an apparatus for filling liquids into bottles, cans and similarcontainers having differently dimensioned open tops, the combination ofnozzle means having an outlet opening; a centering member on said nozzlemeans having a recess communicating with said outlet opening and beingprovided with an open end, said recess being dimensioned andconfigurated for accommodating and centering the differently dimensionedopen tops of different containers which are introduced into said openend; a plurality of concentric annular sealing members arranged withinsaid recess and each having a different diameter so that, when the opentop of one of said containers is introduced into said recess andcentered thereby, the correspondingly dimensioned sealing member cansealingly engage said open top; and air-return tube means beingexchangable with a return tube means of different shape in accordancewith the difference in dimensions of the open tops of the differentcontainers which are introduced into said open end of said recess ofsaid centering member.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess is boundedby a circumferential wall provided with a plurality of annular cutoutseach accommodating one of said sealing members.

3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said recess iselongated inwardly away from said open end, and wherein said cutouts andthereby said sealing members are spaced from one another in thedirection of elongation of said recess.

4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said sealing membersconsist of elastomeric material.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess iselongated and bounded by a peripheral wall, and wherein said wall isprovided with two concentric annular cutouts spaced from one another inthe direction of elongation of said recess and each accommodating one ofsaid sealing members.

6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4; said air-return tube meanshaving upper end means adapted to be placed into communication with saidoutlet opening of said nozzle means and lower end portion meansextending through said recess and into the open top of a container whichis located in said recess.

7. In an apparatus as defined in claim 6; and further comprisingdeflector means carried by said air-return tube means in the region ofsaid lower end portion means thereof so as to be located in said opentop of said container.

8. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said air-return tubemeans includes at least two tubes of different lengths each of which maybe substituted for the other in said apparatus.

9. In an apparatus as defined in claim -8, wherein said tubes each carryone of said deflector means, and wherein each of said deflector means isdifferently dimensioned, said tubes being selectively connectable withsaid nozzle means and said centering member.

10. In an apparatus as defined in claim 6; and further comprisingquick-release coupling means provided in said nozzle means forreleasably connecting said tube means thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,575 2/1937 Musick 1 41367 XFOREIGN PATENTS 1,396,754- 3/1955 France.

455,269 10/ 1936' Great Britain.

HOUSTON S. BELL, In, Primary Examiner

